Start Again
by luvin'-music
Summary: "Fang didn't need Maya. He didn't need Star or Kate or anyone else. He needed Max. And he was stupid for letting her slip from his grasp." To the song 'Start Again' by Red. Fang's regret on everything that has happened since he left.


**Alright, so I haven't really done a Fax story in a long time, and unfortunately, my story is running on Mylan right now. :( (Don't worry, I don't think it will be for long. ;)) Anyway, so here's a oneshot to the song Start Again by Red. Awesome song! Check it out if you haven't already! Seriously, soo good! XD**

**By the way, story takes place after France, but both groups are together in the woods, off on a mission or something. Fang is keeping watch when he starts to think about things...**

**Anyway, without further adoo, here's the song-fic! **

**Disclaimer: I do not own Maximum Ride or the song Start Again by Red. One can dream, though...**

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><p>Fang stood in the middle of the forest, the flock and his gang asleep. He stared at the stars, emotions tormenting him. He loved Max. Had always loved Max. It was like she was his breath, the very oxygen his body needed to survive. Every time he took a breath, Max was his vessel to life. His home.<p>

Without her, he couldn't breathe. Couldn't live. He was nothing.

_And I remember everything _

_Everything I loved_

_I gave it away_

_Like it wasn't enough_

He left her. He left his Maximum, like an idiot.

She was right; he _was _scum.

It was the stupidest mistake he had ever made.

_All the words I said and all you forgive_

_How could I hurt you again?_

What made matters worse was that this wasn't the first time he had broken a very direct promise that only he could keep. He'd broken his promise _twice. _And she had forgiven him _twice._ If that wasn't trust, then he didn't know what was.

And he had broken his trust to her again. For the third time. Like an idiot.

Really, how many times did he think he could keep doing that before she finally moved on, realizing the fact that Fang just wasn't enough anymore? How could he keep doing this, then just _expect _her to come back to him? Max was smarter than that, more stubborn. If you fool her once, shame on her. Fool her twice, shame on him.

Fool her three times...

You're out.

_What if I let you in?_

_What if I make it right?_

_What if I give it up?_

_What if I want to try?_

Fang stood, walking up to a tree. He spread his wings out, then flapped down, jumping onto the highest branch, his highest vantage point to spot danger. From this high up, he could see the whole forest, the stars as clear as the leaves on this tree in the sky. The moon looking down on him, illuminating everything it touched. The campsite about ten feet away...

Max, asleep in Dylan's arms.

Fang swallowed hard, looking anywhere but the camp. If he could turn back time, he would. If he could go back and scream at himself, tell himself to just stay, then he would. Because leaving was the worst thing he could've ever done. Always would be the worst thing he ever did.

He just wanted to turn back time.

_What if you take a chance?_

_What if I learn to love?_

_What if, what if we start again?_

Fang wanted so badly for Max to take him back. For her to open her arms to him once again and love him. But most of all, he wanted to learn to love -actually _love_- Maximum Ride, so that no other girl, no other women on the face of this planet, would ever take his eyes or mind from her. His jewel. His Max.

Dylan thought that way about her. Fang envied him for it.

_On this time I can make it right_

_With one more try_

_Can we start again?_

_In my eyes you can see it now_

_Can we start again?_

_Can we start again?_

Fang would do anything, _anything, _to hold Max again. To kiss her. To feel her body against his one more time. To run his hand through her hair. He would do anything to start again with her. To erase his mistakes. To right his wrongs. He would do _anything._

And he was the only one who knew that.

_The emptiness inside me I wonder if you see_

_It's my mistake, and it's hurting me_

He often wondered if Max could see it. Could see his heart breaking every time he saw her with _him. _Could detect the way his heart just stopped beating and his fists clenched every time he circled his arms around her. He wondered if she could see all that.

Probably. She knew him that well.

_I know where we've been_

_How'd we get so far?_

_What if, what if we start again?_

Ever since he left, Fang had gone through this whole ordeal in his head, trying to figure out how this whole thing got so screwed up. How did Dylan get his foothold on Max's heart? How did Maya come in the way of things? How did the flock seem different since he left?

And the answer always came easily to him: Because he allowed it to.

Max was right. _He _was the one who decided to leave. _He _was the one who picked out Maya, out of all the girls and boys who auditioned, he_ chose Maya. He _was the one who decided it was better for Max and Dylan to get together, after France. Fang had decided everything, taking over Max's life for her.

And he hated himself for it.

_On this time I can make it right_

_With one more try_

_Can we start again?_

Fang just wanted one day -_one day_- to make everything right. Just one day.

Was that too much to ask?

_In my eyes you can see it now_

_Can we start again?_

_Can we start again?_

Fang stood on his branch, looking out at the night, a firefly buzzing by him. He watched it fly up to the moon, blinking on and off, so beautiful and brilliant.

Kind of like Max.

_I'm lost inside the pain I feel without you_

_I can't stop holding on_

_I need you with me_

_I'm caught inside the pain_

Fang felt his heart break a little more when the firefly turned back and flew back towards the campsite, illuminating Max and Dylan's position once again. Max had no idea how much Fang needed her, how much he needed her to be with him. Fang didn't need Maya. He didn't need Star or Kate or anyone else. He needed _Max. _And he was stupid for letting her slip from his grasp.

Jumping down, face determined, Fang thought, _Not this time. Not again._

_Can we start again? _

_I'm lost without you_

He made his way back to the campsite, his footsteps soft and quiet in the night air. He stopped a foot away from Max, seeing her stir and sit up, eying him. She must have felt him coming, like she used to. "What's wrong?" she whispered, slowly taking Dylan's arm off her waist so she could stand without waking him.

Fang took a deep breath. "We need to talk," he whispered back, so softly so only she could hear him.

_One more try_

_Can we start again?_

"Sure," she said, looking at him quizzically.

Fang nodded, then slowly walked away, knowing she would follow. He led her to the same tree he had just departed from, stopping to wait for her to catch up. Once he heard her footsteps five steps away from his own, he spread his wings once again, jumping back into the tree. "Come on," he called back down when she didn't move.

_In my eyes can you forgive me now?_

_Can we start again? Can we start again?_

"Fang, what are we doing?" Max asked, settling onto a branch across from his own.

Fang just shrugged, not looking at her. "We need to talk," he said again, risking a glance at her face, his voice barely carrying in the wind.

"About what?" she asked, crossing her arms, the wind blowing her hair in front of her eyes. She tucked it behind her ear.

He took another deep breath. "Us."

_One more try_

_Can we start again? Can we start again?_

"What about us?" she asked crisply, narrowing her eyes at him, daring him to continue.

Fang paused, wondering how to continue. "Max, I'm-" he stopped, running a hand through his shorter-than-usual black hair, trying to sort his thoughts. Finally, he looked into her eyes and said, "I'm sorry."

Max paused, her eyes wide, staring at him. "What?" she asked finally, her voice barely more than a whisper.

"I'm sorry, Max," he repeated, speaking faster now, his voice even as he tried to right his wrongs, tried to get her to understand. "I'm sorry I left you. I'm sorry I broke our promise the first time. I'm sorry I broke it again, and again. I'm sorry I left you with Dylan. I'm sorry I picked Maya to be in my gang, even though a part of me knew it was a bad idea. I'm sorry for leaving a freaking note -which was lame, I know- instead of talking to you about it first. I realize now that it was a stupid decision on my part, and I shouldn't have done it. I realize now that it was Jeb and Dr. G-H's plan from the beginning, maybe even Dylan's. I'm sorry I didn't listen to you, and only listened to everyone else said on what I should do. I'm sorry I left, Max," he finished, leaning forward, his eyes pleading now, allowing her to see. "And I hope that, someday, you might be able to forgive me."

Max just sat there, eyes fixed into his, expressionless. It was as if they switched places, Max being the silent one while Fang was the one talking, but he didn't care. He knew that the first step on truly loving someone was to admit when the person was wrong, and to be honest with yourself and her and apologize. Which was why he did it. To show her how serious he was and how much he truly loved her.

Now, he could only hope that she would forgive him.

After what seemed like hours, Max's gaze softened as she looked down at him, a small smile tugging on her lips. "You really are sorry?" she asked lightly, testing his sincerity.

Fang nodded. "More than you will ever know," he said.

She nodded, pursing her lips, then her eyes became guarded once again. "Fang, I trusted you. I trusted you with my life, and you left me. _Three times._"

Fang nodded once again. "I know," was all he said.

"And you know how hard it is fpr someone to gain my trust again, don't you?"

"Yeah," Fang said, looking down at his hands.

It was silent for a moment, the weight of it suffocating him. Then a hand came into his vision and lightly grabbed his chin, tilting it up until he saw Max's face, calm and guarded, staring back at him. "If you prove to me that I can trust you again," she began, voice even in the wind, "then maybe we can be friends again. We won't be as close as before, at least, not in such a short period of time, but if you prove to me, without a shadow of a doubt, that you will _never_ leave me again, then we'll see where fate takes us."

The corners of Fang's face tilted up just slightly.

_Can you forgive me now?_

"So, am I forgiven?" he asked, smirking.

She smirked back. "Let's just call this, temporarily not dead."

Fang laughed. "Yeah, we'll call it that." Then he held out his hand, and Max scoffed, taking it and shaking it. Their hands lingered longer than needed before slowly breaking apart.

_Can we start again?_

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><p><strong>That's all! A little OOC, yes, but like I said, I need some FAX! Do you Like? Hate? Eh? Please comment!<strong>

**By the way, I have another story: Maximum Ride- Last Stand. If you're interested, would you please check it out? :) I'll give you a cyber cookie! ;)**

**Anyway, please review and tell me what you think! (If you review, you get _two _cyber cookies! ;))**


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